Latest Politics Headlines
All the headlines from our Politics Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Senate Bills Offer Tax Credits, Loans to Help Property Owners Hit by Disasters
Nov 13 2007 // Saying he believes that immediate assistance is needed for those living near coastal areas who are grappling with skyrocketing property insurance premiums, Senator Chris Dodd, D-Conn., chairman of the Senate Banking,...
Mich. Senate Panel Votes to Change Lawmakers’ Health Care, Pay
Nov 8 2007 // A Michigan state Senate panel on Tuesday voted to change health care benefits for future lawmakers when they retire. After working six years, current lawmakers qualify to get 90 percent of their health care covered once...
Democrats Retain Control of New Jersey Legislature
Nov 8 2007 // Democrats retained control of the New Jersey Legislature on Tuesday, boosting their Senate majority by one and maintaining their Assembly advantage amid concerns over the state’s highest-in-the-nation property taxes...
Democrat Beshear Defeats Ky. Governor Who was Indicted in Scandal
Nov 8 2007 // Democrat Steve Beshear easily defeated the scandal-plagued Republican incumbent Tuesday to become governor of Kentucky, pulling off a political comeback 20 years after he last held office. Gov. Ernie Fletcher had won four...
Congressional Hearing Again Targets Regulatory Reform
Oct 31 2007 // No one argues the need to revamp the regulatory structure of the insurance industry, but just how to reform regulation remains the big question for legislators considering the issue. Some in the insurance industry support...
Congressional Leaders Oppose Miss. Plan to Divert Housing Funds
Oct 19 2007 // Two congressional leaders on Wednesday asked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to reject a Mississippi plan to divert $600 million in Hurricane Katrina housing funds to an expansion project for the State...
House Joins Senate in Passing Rail Safety Bill with Hour Limits
Oct 19 2007 // he House acted this week to reduce the working hours of railroad crews, with lawmakers saying employee fatigue is a major factor in train accidents. The labor rule changes were part of a railroad safety bill that also...
Mich. Senate Okays ‘Opt-out’ Option for State’s Helmet Law
Oct 18 2007 // A Michigan Senate Committee passed legislation on Wednesday, Oct. 17 that would enable motorcyclists to ride without their helmets on Michigan roads. The bill is expected to be voted on by the State Senate in the near...
Senate Panel Releases Compromise Terrorism Insurance Bill
Oct 17 2007 // Senate leaders have agreed on a bill to renew the federal terrorism reinsurance program, although without some of the added provisions and for not as long as the House of Representatives wants. The Senate Banking...
Senate Flood Insurance Bill Keeps Current Limits, Omits Wind Coverage
Oct 17 2007 // The U.S. Senate Banking Committee has approved legislation to reform the National Flood Insurance Program. The Flood Insurance Reform and Modernization Act of 2007 will now move to the floor of the full Senate. The U.S....
Ky. GOP Chairman: Cut Candidate’s Former Law Firm
Oct 11 2007 // Kentucky’s GOP chairman wants the Office of Insurance to terminate the contract of a Lexington law firm that has represented the state agency for more than a decade in the bankruptcy of Kentucky Central Life...
Congressional Report Questions Germ Labs’ Security
Oct 5 2007 // Federal terror-fighting agencies can’t identify all the American research laboratories that could become targets of attackers, congressional investigators have found. The Government Accountability Office asked a...
Safety Group Opposes Ill. Senate Bill that Increases Truck Speed Limits
Oct 4 2007 // A safety group is speaking out about the what they say are the dangers of the override of Illinois SB 540, which allows large tractor-trailer trucks to travel on rural, four-lane highways at the same speed limits as...
Democrats Push OSHA to Regulate Worksites with Popcorn Flavoring
Sep 28 2007 // That buttery taste and smell of microwave popcorn may have caused a deadly lung disease in workers who package it. While there’s no evidence of any danger to the millions of people who eat it, Congress is taking...
Fla. House, Senate Close in on Pact to Extend No-Fault Car Insurance
Sep 24 2007 // Florida legislators reached a general agreement to extend the state’s no-fault car insurance law rather than letting it expire as scheduled on Oct. 1, key members of both chambers said. The requirement that Florida...
Senate Passes Mental Health Parity Legislation
Sep 19 2007 // Capping a long battle, the Senate passed legislation this week that would require equal health insurance coverage for mental and physical illnesses when policies include both. The bill, which passed by unanimous consent,...
Toy Company CEOs to Testify in Senate on Product Safety
Sep 12 2007 // Mattel Inc. CEO Robert Eckert and U.S. product safety inspectors will face questions from senators next week as Congress begins probes of toy safety and a recent rash of recalls. A Senate Appropriations subcommittee led by...
Mich. Senate Approves Changes Targeting School Health Costs
Sep 6 2007 // The Michigan GOP-led Senate narrowly approved bills Tuesday aimed at lowering the health insurance costs of K-12 schools and other public employers, a key change Republicans want in exchange for backing a tax...
S.C. Senate leader seeks insurance department audit
Sep 3 2007 // A South Carolina Senate leader has asked the Legislative Audit Council to review practices at the state insurance department that may have let insurance companies raise rates without adequate oversight. Senate President...
Tenn. Insurance Attorney Considering Run for Senate
Aug 22 2007 // Nashville, Tenn., insurance lawyer Kevin Doherty is the latest Democrat to confirm he is thinking about a run for the U.S. Senate next year. Doherty, 47, said he’s seriously considering challenging for the seat now...
